HISTORY OF INTENSIVE CULTIVATION 5 



first great exponent of it, judging from his Theatre 

 du Jardinage, published in 1700. Another French 

 gardener, La Quintinye (b. 1626, d. 1688), whose 

 Instruction pour les Jardins fruitiers et potagers was 

 published in 1690, also deals with the subject and 

 tells how he was able to send to the table of Louis XIV., 

 surnamed " the Great " (b. 1638, d. 1715), Asparagus 

 and Sorrel in December ; Radishes, Lettuces, and 

 Mushrooms in January ; Cauliflowers in March ; 

 Strawberries early in April ; Peas in May ; and Melons 

 in June. 



From this it may be gathered that the art of inten- 

 sive cultivation even in the seventeenth century was 

 by no means in its infancy. Frames were already 

 in use, and long before them cloches were common. 



From the time of Louis XIII. to that of Louis XVIII. 

 that is, from about the year 1600 to 1800 great 

 progress seems to have been made ; and garden after 

 garden was established in Paris and its environs. 

 The troubles of the Revolution and the wars of the 

 Empire, however, interfered a good deal with the 

 development of the system for the time being. But 

 in 1844, according to Courtois-Gerard, about 1,500 

 acres of land were devoted to intensive cultivation in 

 Paris. This area was in the hands of 1,125 growers, 

 so that each had an average of not much more than 

 an acre. 



Since that time great alterations have taken place 

 owing to the construction of railways, new boulevards, 

 and other improvements, the result being that many 

 of the old Parisian market-gardens have completely 

 vanished. On the outskirts of Paris, however, several 

 hundreds of gardens have been established, and it is 



